


Don't Come Home A-Drinkin'

by Orange17



Series: Truck Stop [2]
Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Angst, Bottle Throwing, F/F, Prequel, so much whiskey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-03
Updated: 2019-03-03
Packaged: 2019-11-08 21:29:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17988845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Orange17/pseuds/Orange17
Summary: One year to the day that she last saw her sister, Waverly reflects back on her childhood and reconsiders where she stands with Nicole.A prequel to"I’m Here Wishing You Could Stay a Little Longer”.





	Don't Come Home A-Drinkin'

**Author's Note:**

> If you haven’t already, you’re probably better off reading the first part of this series ["I’m Here Wishing You Could Stay a Little Longer”](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14372367/chapters/33181584) first. 
> 
> Title is stolen from the Loretta Lynn song.

Waverly groaned at the sound of her alarm. She slapped at her phone, turning it off.

Already wide-awake and having been so most of the night, she peeled her pile of blankets back, hissing as the cold air shocked her skin. Goosebumps erupted across her arms as she hugged herself, fruitlessly trying to retain some warmth while she hurried to the bathroom.

She shivered as she went about her morning routine, readying for work, with a frigid breeze slipping through cracks in the bathroom window. Instead of cursing the cheap panes as she so often did on these mornings, she embraced the chill in the air, using it to keep her mind distracted.

But her thoughts returned to the same place they had been all night, when she squeezed a small dollop of toothpaste on her toothbrush. She hummed to herself as she brushed, her free hand tapping out the same beat on the counter as it had for years.

When she finished, she rinsed, slamming her toothbrush back into its holder before hurrying out of the bathroom to change into her uniform, cursing herself for not spending last night at Nicole’s.

\--

With shaking hands, Waverly killed the engine on her Jeep. She leaned heavily against the seat, her shoulders bouncing off before settling against the worn fabric. She closed her eyes, willing her racing heart to slow and trying to rein in the hope that coursed through her veins.

_Yes, it has been a year,_ she told herself, _but… of all days, today might_ **really** _be the day_.

Waverly took a deep breath and pushed open the door, tensing as a frigid gust of air cut through her coat. With her head bowed against the wind, she wrapped her arms around her middle, holding her breath as she hurried to the diner.

Her gaze didn’t lift until she heard the door fully close behind her and the bell above fell silent. Still not daring to breathe, she slowly scanned the dining room and counter, stomach and shoulders falling at no sign of Wynonna.

Waverly shook her head, blinking away tears as she rushed to put away her coat and purse before tying her small apron around her waist. She _knew_ it was stupid and reckless to have gotten her hopes up, but she really believed Wynonna would have returned today: exactly one year since the last time she’d seen her sister.  

Flinging her hands in desperation to keep the tears from falling, she reminded herself that Wynonna had already left her behind once. She squeezed her eyes shut, fruitlessly trying to push the memory from the first time aside.

\--

_Waverly jumped, pulled abruptly from sleep by the slam of the driver’s door. The cab rocked side-to-side with the force. She pulled Mr. Rabbit closer, shivering at the frigid blast that washed through the already cold truck, before slowly opening her eyes. Daddy shuffled through, tossing the half-closed curtain aside on his path to the tiny, jerry-rigged kitchenette, digging through empty bottles and crumpled up fast food wrappers._

_“Good morning,” she murmured softly, closing her eyes and turning away from the rising sun._

_He huffed in response, tossing items aside in his search. Waverly folded in on herself tighter, trying to find some warmth underneath the one thin blanket. She heard the pop of a stopper and her daddy drinking deeply before resurfacing with a satisfied “ahh.”_

_Waverly turned restlessly again, this time with her eyes open as her daddy stumbled into the driver’s seat, swearing as he fumbled to put the key in the ignition. The engine sputtered and he cursed, before twisting the key and trying again._

_With an ominous groan, the engine fell silent and daddy threw himself back against the seat. Shaking his head, he sat up quickly, slapping both hands against the wheel in frustration before reaching for his bottle again. He took another long pull before wiping his mouth on the back of his arm._

_“Guess this sets us back, eh Wynonna?” he mumbled toward the passenger seat._

_Waverly’s eyes narrowed at the empty seat where her sister usually slept. It took her father another minute to reach the same realization._

_She flinched at the speed in which daddy rose to his feet, the whiskey in his bottle sloshing at the movement. His fierce, bloodshot eyes scanned the cab twice before his arm reared back, poised to launch the bottle in hand._

_Waverly curled in on herself, wrapping her arms over her head as the glass shattered against the wall and the sticky alcohol sprayed her arms and blanket. Her heart raced and her stomach twisted, hoping no shards of glass made their way into the bed._

_The whiskey dripping down the wall and onto the floor echoed unnaturally loud in the tense air of the cab and was only broken by the sound of the driver’s door slamming shut once again._

_The cab swayed once again and Waverly quickly sat up, carefully crawling across the bed to look out the window. Daddy stalked off into the rows of trucks, their hoods glistening in the morning light._

_“JOHN HENRY!”_

\--

Waverly knew her tips would suffer as she stomped through the diner, her neck aching from how rigidly she held her shoulders, but she couldn’t bring herself to care. She was short with regulars and passing truckers alike in her haste to get behind the counter and return to her mug of whiskey with a splash of coffee. But she eased the slightest bit when Nicole entered the diner for lunch, knowing that a night with the mechanic would chase away the tension she was feeling.

Her stomach twisted guitlity at the thought but she quickly brushed it aside. Today, of all days, she deserved a little selfishness. At least that’s what she told herself.

\--

At the end of her shift, she found herself in the bathroom of the diner, brushing away the whiskey and coffee on her breath, before she left for Nicole’s. She hummed to herself as she brushed, blinking back memories as she eyed her reflection in the mirror.

\--

_“No—na,” Waverly slurred through the toothbrush in her mouth._

_“Hold on kid, let me finish,” Wynonna replied._

_Her sister resumed humming as if Waverly hadn’t interrupted, her blue eyes narrowed in concentration._

_Waverly nodded, the movement catching Wynonna off guard and the toothbrush slipped from her mouth, a trail of saliva and foam sliding down Waverly’s chin._

_“Sorry!”_

_Wynonna sighed, reaching for a paper towel, “It’s okay baby girl, it’s good enough. Rinse and then hold still while I clean your face, okay?”_

_Waverly nodded, shifting Mr. Rabbit to her other hand and reaching for the bottle of water on the sink. Her hand shook with the weight of it, but she carefully tipped it back, swirling the water in her mouth before lifting to her tiptoes and spitting it all into the sink._

_Feet flat on the floor again, she squirmed with the effort to keep still while Wynonna gently wiped at her chin with a damp paper towel._

_Her sister tossed the wadded up ball into the bin before pushing her hair out of her face, “What were you going to say, Waves?”_

_“Does daddy brush your teeth?”_

_Wynonna grimaced as she twisted the lid on the water bottle and gathered up their other items, “No, I brush them myself, baby girl. Why would you think that?”_

_“Because you don’t brush them with me. I thought maybe you needed help too.”_

_Waverly automatically linked her fingers with Wynonna’s as they made their way from the bathroom._

_“I’ll brush them with you from now on. Promise, okay?”_

_Waverly nodded, biting her lip, “Wynonna?”_

_“Yeah, baby girl?”_

_“C—can you teach me too?”  Waverly stammered, as they weaved through the convenience store of the truck stop, Wynonna pocketing a bag of Skittles and a chapstick.  
_

_“Of course,” Wynonna looked down at her with a smirk as she pushed the door open. “You think you’re ready?”_

_“Absolutely! I’m not a baby anymore.”_

_“Hate to break it to you kid, but you’ll always be ‘baby girl’ to me.”_

_Waverly pouted but tightened her grip on Mr. Rabbit as Wynonna lifted her into the cab of the truck with a grunt._

_She blinked as she looked around, “Where’s daddy?”_

_Wynonna huffed before staring out a window, tapping her foot impatiently, “Sobering—I mean cleaning up… at least he better be.”_

_Waverly carefully climbed onto the bed, pulling a book to her lap, when her attention was pulled to her sister humming._

_“Why do you hum?”_

_“Because I’m bored. Why do you ask so many questions?”_

_Waverly scrunched her nose, “No—not now, when you brush my teeth.”_

_“Um,” Wynonna sighed, before running a hand through her hair. “Momma taught me that. To make sure I brushed long enough. I was only done when I finished playing ‘Don't Come Home A-Drinkin’' in my head.”_

_“Oh.” Waverly’s gaze fell to her book, her finger playing with a tear in the cover before she mumbled, “I miss momma.”_

_She bounced on the thin mattress as Wynonna plopped aside of her, pulling her into a tight hug. Waverly tucked her head under her sister’s chin, pulling herself closer, hands fisting her thin t-shirt._

_“I miss her too,” Wynonna murmured into her hair, her hand moving up and down on her back. “It’s not the same, but I_ **promise** _baby girl, you’ll always have me.”_

_“Always?”_

_Wynonna pulled back and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear with a smile, “Always.”_

\--

Waverly hurried from the diner, only barely aware of the cold wind cutting through her clothes as she practically ran to her Jeep. She was eager to replace the warmth of the whiskey that sat contentedly in her stomach with the touch of a redheaded mechanic.

Once inside, she quickly pushed the key into the ignition, crossing her fingers at the slow crank and hoping it would catch in spite of the chill in the air. The engine finally roared to life and Waverly relaxed into the worn seat.

She fumbled with her bag, searching for her phone while she waited for warm air from the vents. When she finally found it, she was not surprised to see a text from Nicole flash across her home screen.

Nic [3:02 p.m.]: Wanna watch a movie tonight?

Her stomach turned again, knowing the mechanic wanted more than what she could ever offer her.

It had been a year, how much longer could it be until Wynonna came to whisk her away from this life?

She shook her head. It was easier this way, keeping this thing between her and Nicole casual so neither one of them were heartbroken when the mechanic inevitably left town or Waverly vanished into the night—whichever came first.

But she couldn’t bring herself to pass up any opportunity to savor Nicole’s touch even it was only a brief reprieve from the mess her family had left her in, so she tossed her phone back into her bag without replying. The combination of guilt, whiskey, and the now hot air blasting out of the vents caused her skin to flush. She shrugged out of her jacket before mindlessly shifting into reverse, backing out of her spot, and speeding to Nicole’s, with her sister’s _always_ and other empty promises echoing in her ears.

In the few minutes that spanned from the diner to Nicole’s driveway, her simmering anger had ratcheted up to a raging boil. This time, for once, it was directed at herself and not at her father or sister. Because Waverly was hurting Nicole just like Wynonna had hurt her, and like her daddy hurt everyone he came into contact with.

And all she had ever wanted was to be _different_. But, instead, she was just continuing down the same road, destined to become the Earp-iest Earp of them all and continuing the legacy of whiskey-fueled antics and sleeping around.

She killed the engine and took a deep breath, allowing the anger to dissipate into an unfamiliar feeling. Something she hadn’t felt in so long that she sat there, listening to the wind rage outside, as she tried to place it.

It reminded her vaguely of Mr. Rabbit, worn books with covers warm from sitting in the sun, and the grape soda Wynonna would swipe from convenience stores on the days Waverly was scared of daddy.

With a shaky inhale, she finally registered it: _hope._

She smiled, climbing out of the Jeep and marching to the door, determined to start anew with Nicole. Waverly pounded on the door impatiently, bouncing in the process. But the hope that had ballooned inside of her snapped with one look at Nicole.

The redhead’s smile didn’t quite reach her eyes and her shoulders were slumped, seemingly resigned. Startled, Waverly pushed into the entry, breath catching as she registered for the first time the dark shadows that hung beneath her eyes that certainly weren’t there when Nicole first moved to Purgatory.

“Shots and beers are on the counter,” Nicole called after her.

Guilt twisted in her stomach as Waverly resigned herself to the damage already done. She’d already broken Nicole and, like any Earp, was too far gone to do anything but.

“It’s like you knew I was coming,” Waverly called over her shoulder with a wink, her voice ringing falsely bright in her ears.

“Y’know, Miss Earp, you are a tad predictable.”

Waverly bit back a sigh, _You don’t know the half of it._

**Author's Note:**

> This was my unused fic for EFA Fic Challenge, but I liked it a lot and knew I’d post it eventually—and this is good timing because of I have at least one, if not more, one shots coming for this series. 
> 
> If you like this one better than my [actual submission](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17694173), take it up with [Trash_PandaTO](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trash_PandaTO/) and [@LuckyWantsToKnow](https://twitter.com/LuckyWantsTo). Extra thanks to my beta Lucky for helping to pick a toothbrushing song and keeping my trucking between the lines too.
> 
> If you want to yell at me on Twitter, find me [@DubiousOrange17](https://twitter.com/dubiousorange17)


End file.
